“It really opens up the possibility of mocking and really dehumanizing little people, people of short stature,” she said.

The practise of “dwarf-tossing” where people with dwarfism wear padded clothing and are thrown around pubs and bars, has been condemned by advocacy groups.

On Thursday, Amazon submitted a new version of the patent application which removed any images or mentions of dwarfs. The new patent filing instead shows the robotic arms tossing generic packages rather than specific products.

An Amazon spokesman confirmed that the company had edited the patent as a response to criticism. "The patent talks about everyday inventory items, including a mug, dwarf figurine, and rubber ducky," he said.

"The intention was simply to illustrate a robotic arm moving products, given it was taken out of context, we simply updated the illustration."

Amazon has not yet been granted a patent for its robotic tossing system, and the system has not yet been deployed in any of its warehouses.

Technology companies often file patent applications for ideas that they never end up using, or as a form of marketing.